Tile guides for Malaysian homes

Big tiles make a room feel bigger and calmer, but they are less forgiving to install. Here is where large format tiles work, where they do not, and what to ask your tiler.

Wok frying, sambal and a sink that never stops running: a wet kitchen needs tiles that cope with oil, heat and water. Here is how to choose them.

Rain shower head, hand shower or the full set? What each one does, why water pressure and your water heater decide what actually works, and what to fix in the wall before the tiles go on.

Breeze blocks were on every Malaysian house in the 1960s and they are back. What they are, why they work in our climate, where to use them and what to plan before the first block goes in.

300×300, 300×600, 600×600, 600×1200 and larger: what each tile size is for, how size changes grout lines, wastage and cost, and how many tiles a room needs.

A shop or office floor takes in a week what a home floor takes in a year. Here is what to specify: tile type, wear and slip ratings, thickness, colour, grout and layout, space by space.

Sand-cement or tile adhesive? Why porcelain and large-format tiles need a proper adhesive, what the C1, C2 and S1 codes mean, and what to use in showers, kitchens and outdoors.

Semi-recessed, wall-hung, counter-top, under-counter or pedestal: five basin types, what each one needs from the wall, the cabinet and the tap, and which suits a Malaysian bathroom.

Wall tiles and floor tiles are not interchangeable. Here is the difference, when it is fine to put a floor tile on a wall, why a wall tile must never go on a floor, and how to choose wall tiles by room.